Category: RA 2011

RA79: Along the Erie Canal

Niagara Falls NY to Holley NY – 67.8 miles Up and out of the KOA.  I slept quite well – my earplugs seem well tuned to blocking out the freeway noise.  But really, KOAs are no places for self contained campers.  We only need 10 square feet of grass for our tiny tents, and that’s about it.  It is always nice to have a source of water and a place for #2 within bike distance..  But you don’t need much more, in my humble opinion of course. North up and over the I190 bridge again. Jack and I dutifully walked

Continue reading

RA78: Niagara Falls!

Fort Erie Ontario to Niagara Falls NY – 33.0 miles Slowly I turned. Step by step. Inch by inch. Breakfast at a place called the M&J Drive In featuring broasted chicken.  Doesn’t sound that great but in my mind it beats McDonalds or even Tim Horton’s hands down.  And yes we had eggs and pancakes for breakfast, not broasted chicken. Jack, Jesse, and I started up the Niagara Recreational Trail together, but quickly separated due to different speeds and desires to stop.  The trail took us along the edge of the Niagara River heading north, with Buffalo and the edge

Continue reading

RA77: Fantastic Riding

Port Dover Ontario to Fort Erie Ontario – 84.8 miles Despite some great-looking places along its streets, Jack and I reluctantly skipped breakfast in Port Dover in order to make some miles first today.  The AC route started us out as usual through corn, soybean, and wind turbine fields on roads that generally hugged the coast.  Past Nanticoke we ran into a tiny place called Floyd’s and decided to stop for breakfast.  It was an isolated little building a block or two off the water, with only a handful of houses in the neighborhood and no other businesses.  A young

Continue reading

RA76: Heavy Weather

Port Burwell Ontario to Port Dover Ontario – 45.7 miles I woke up several times last night to the moon filtering through the trees and onto my pillow.  Does it get better? By 6AM big drops of rain, thunder, and lightning were our companions.  I was forced out into it by nature.  Drenched, I returned to my tent with the rains continuing steadily, so by 7:45AM I decided to start packing up no matter what, figuring, we’ll either pedal off or at least check into a motel.  The camping rate at this park was practically the same as a motel

Continue reading

RA75: Lake Erie Beach Towns

Port Glasgow Ontario to Port Burwell Ontario – 62.4 miles The night on the beach had been fantastic.  Isolated and ultra quiet, save for those sonorous insects and quiet waves.  Around 11PM I peeked outside to see who was shining a light on my tent, and found only the moon, now exposed from behind some clouds.  It glowed above the lake making a gorgeous reflection, which somehow just made me content. I awoke to Jesse’s stirrings – he sure likes to get up early.  Around 7AM my mind told me to start rising but the rest of my body told

Continue reading

RA74: Lake Erie Beach Camping

Kingsville Ontario to Port Glasgow Ontario – 81.8 miles Up at 6:35AM, grudgingly.  We’d told Jesse we’d meet him at 7AM for breakfast somewhere in town.   Two places beckoned to be explored, two great old breakfast café places with stools in downtown Kingsville.  But neither opened until 8AM.   Another mile down the road brought us to Tim Horton’s, a Canadian favorite, but we nixed that for having a pastry-centric menu.  Next door was the anti-restaurant (McD) which Jesse could not resist.  Jack and I decided to ride 8 miles into the next town. We found Leamington Ontario and rode north

Continue reading

RA73: O Canada!

Sandusky OH to Kingsville Ontario – 11.7 miles Feed trough breakfast this morning at the Econolodge.  It is always a sight to see significantly overweight people piling their plates high with sugared doughnuts and cinnamon rolls, like it will all be taken away any minute.  I had four bowls of raisin bran (like they were going to take it away any minute). A roll to CVS for snacks, etc.  Jack had to play sentry for the bikes since a resident had told us that thefts were common here.  A roll to the bike shop where Jack considered buying a new

Continue reading

RA72: To Our Amusement

Gibsonburg OH to Sandusky OH – 39.1 miles As planned, we rose earlier than normal and set out for Fremont OH.  With food our motivation, and a healthy tailwind chasing us, we rolled into Fremont only a little bit after 8AM.  There were several downtown cafés, and we soon settled on AM Korner Café, housed in a tall trapezoidal shaped building reminscient of Mick’s Gym in Philadelphia.  The place was full of “antique” shop paraphernalia, and only a few local patrons.  Perfect.  We called Jesse and he soon joined our table.  I had a ham, cheese, and broccoli omelette that

Continue reading

RA71: Gibsonburg OH

Grand Rapids OH to Gibsonburg OH – 43.0 miles It rained solidly last night.  Before I awoke Frank was already out of the campsite, and Gary was soon to follow.  The gang reconvened at Mother Theresa’s Pizza joint in downtown Grand Rapids OH, which also served breakfast.   My pancakes were decent but a little bit gluey, I’ll give them a 5. We spun west and enjoyed the best tailwind since eastern Montana, directly out of the west.  Roger rode with us, which was mutually enjoyable – fun for us because he is such a crack-up, and fun for him because

Continue reading

RA70: State Number Ten

Monroeville In to Grand Rapids OH – 79.1 miles We got two warning sprinkles last night, enough for Jack to jump under the pavilion roof and me to zip up the tent.  Then some moderately heavy rain for a half hour or so.   It sounded wonderful to me and I slept very well all night, and awoke fresh and early at 6AM. Jack and I considered the Pour House for breakfast, but instead found Johnny’s Café open for a good full breakfast.  Then out onto the road with a partial tailwind and nice overcast skies.   Our route took us parallel

Continue reading